Multiple-contact trolley.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

L. M. MoBR-IDB.

MULTIPLE CONTACT TROLLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1904.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

k U N No. 781,842. PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905. L. M. MOBRIDE.

MULTIPLE CONTACT TROLLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented February '7, 1905.

EEIcE. I

PATENT LPHVIS M. MCBRIDE, OF DFNVER, COLORADO.

MULTIPLE-CONTACT TROLLEY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,842, dated February'7, 1905.

Application filed July 5, 1904. Serial No. 215,291.

To In whom, it may concern:

Be it known that-I, LnwIs i\'[. MCBRIDE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful improvements in MultipleContact Trolleys: and 1 do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trolleys for electric-motorcars; and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide amultiple-contact trolley; second, to provide a trolley having anauxiliary contact wheel adapted to provide an increased-currentcontacting surface with the trolley-wire, whereby an increased amount ofthe electric current may flow to the motor and lights of a car; third,to provide a multiple-contact trolley that will prevent arcing betweenthe wheel and wire; fourth, to provide a multiple-wheel trolley in whicheach wheel maintains an individual and independent bearing on thetrolleywire in rounding curves and entering switches as well as onstraight portions of the trolley-wire, thus obviating the danger ofeither one or both trolley-wheels leaving the trolley-wire when roundingcurves or entering switches; fifth, to provide a multiple-wheel trolleythat is especially designed to permit the main or front wheel when thetrolleywire is covered with ice or sleet to break and clear the wire ofthe same, and thus allow the follower-w heel unobstructed contact withthe bare trolley-wire. l attain these objects by the mechanismillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of the preferred form of my improvedtrolley. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a trolley, illustrating amodification in the manner of securing the harp upon the end of thetrolley-pole. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the lower end of theauxiliary trolley-pole, showing the hinge connection, which unites It tothe main trolley-pole. Fig. i is a side view, partly in section, of atrolley showing a modification in the auxiliary trolley-arm and themanner of connecting it to the main trolleypole. Fig. 5 is a detailviewof the lower end of the auxiliary trolley-arm, showing the samepivotally secured upon the main trolleypole; and Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the form of trolley shown in Fig. l, but illustrating adifferent manner of holding the auxiliary trolley-whcel in contact withthe line-wire.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a trolley-pole, and2 the trolleywheel, both of which are of the usual construction. To theend of the pole lsecure a harp 3, which comprises a short piece of tube,one end of which is provided with a counter-bore, which lits revolublyover the end of the pole. The opposite end of this tube is formed intobifurcated yoke-shaped terminal ends 5, which straddle the trolleywheel2 and are pivotally connected thereto by a pin 7, which extends throughand is secured to them and on which the trolley-wheel is pivotallymounted. The harp is secured to the end of the trolley-pole by a spring8. This spring may be of any suitable type and may be placed in anyconvenient position outside of the pole and harp; but 1 preferably placeit within the pole and harp. I preferably use a flat-blade spring theends of which I secure to two blocks 10 by bolts 11. One of the blocks10 is placed in the harp and the other in the pole, and the blocks arebolted to the pole and harp by the bolts ll, which pass through the endsof the spring and the blocks. The flat side of the spring is arranged inalinement with thetreadof the trolley-wheel, and the function of thisspring is to normally hold the main trolley-wheel in direct alinementwith the pole and in straight bearing contact on the trolley-wire and tohold the harp onto the pole and at the same time allow the trolley-wheelto resiliently yield or oscillate or partially rotate on the pole toaccommodate itself independent of the pole to the curves in thetrolley-line. To the trolley-pole I pivotally secure an arm 13, the freeend of which carries a su mlementary or auxiliary trolley-wheel l i.This arm is pivoted to the pole by a compound universal joint, which maybe constructed in several different ways, but which I preferably make inthe following manner: To the pole I secure a clip 15, which surroundsthe pole and is rigidly mounted thereon. This clip is provided with ears16, that depend from the pole. To these ears one end of a hinge 17 ispivotally secured by a pin 18. The opposite end of the hinge is securedto the end of the tubular arm 18, preferably by rivets 19. The hingecomprises a strap-hinge made of two plates 20 and 21, both 01 which areprovided with eyes 22, that intermesh with each other and are piv otallyconnected together by a pin 23. The hinge permits the arm to swinglaterally of the pole, while the pivotal joint in the clip permits thearm to swing vertically of the pole. The auxiliary trolley-wheel issecured to the outer end of the arm by a resilient oscillatingconnection, the same as is used for the connection of the maintrolley-wheel with the trolley-pole. This resilient oscillating orpartially-rotating connection comprises the yoke-shaped harp 24, theyoke end of which straddles the auxiliary trolley-wheel and is pivotallyconnected to it by the pin 25. The opposite end of the harp 24 isrevolubly mounted on the end of the arm and is held there by the spring26 and the blocks 27, which are placed Within the harp and arm and aresecured to them by bolts 28, the same as in the pole and harp of themain trolley-wheel. To the trolley-pole adjacent to the harp is securedan eye 29, from which hangs a link 30, which surrounds the auxiliary arm13 and extends a short distance below it. auxiliary arm when the trolleyis drawn down by the rope and relieve the spring which supportsthe saidarm of excessive strain. On the harp 2 1 I form an eye 34, vto which Isecure a pull-rope,which is used by the conductor of the motor-car, towhich the trolley is attached, to replace the trolley on the wire incaseit jumps the same. \Vhile the arm is pivotally secured to the poleto swing laterally, it is necessary that a controlling medium be usedwhich will exert an upward pressure upon the arm tocause the auxiliarywheel normally to engage the live wire and also to hold the arm normallyin alinement with the pole, and while I may employ one or more springsof various types arranged in different positions to control the arm Ipreferably carry out this feature of my invention in the followingmanner: To the under side of the trolley-pole I secure one end of aflat-blade spring 35, the opposite end of which supports the arm 13. Theend of the spring is secured between the ears of a clip 36, which issecured to the pole by bolt-s 37. The spring is then twisted half roundto bring the flat side of the spring upward, and its opposite end isprovided with a semicircular guide 38, which is pivotally securedthereto by a bolt 39, the said guide sup- The object of this link is toengage the sequently when the auxiliary wheel is in contact with thewire the spring and arm are under tension that acts to hold theauxiliary Wheel up against the Wire through the upward resilientpressure of the horizontal portion of the spring, while at the same timethe vertical portion of this spring holds the auxiliary wheel and itsarm in alinement with the pole and tends to return it to its normalposition of alinement when it is moved laterally to either side of thetrolley-pole when rounding curves. double or compound resilient tensionon the auxiliary wheel when rounding curves in which the tensions are atright angles to each other.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated a modification in the manner of securingthe harp upon the trolley-pole so as to turn thereon, but to be heldnormally in line with the trolleywire.

Around the end of the harp 3 is secured a clip 3, having ears betweenwhich one end of a blade-spring 3 is secured by means of a bolt 3 Theopposite end of this spring is secured by a bolt 1 between the ears of aclip 1 which is secured upon the trolleypole 1. By this construction thespring being on the outside is easily secured, and its edge is in linewith the trolley-wire instead of the flat side, as in the case of thesprings 8 and 26 of Fig; 1.

In Fig. 4 1 illustrate a modilication'of the support of the auxiliarytrolley-Wheel. In this modification the long tubular arm 13 is dispensedwith and a spring-arm 35 is employed, the lower end of which is securedto a clip 36, a portion of this end extending beyond the clip, so as tobear upon the under side of the pole. The spring is given a halfturnsimilar to the spring 35, and upon its free end is secured a piece oftubing 40, one end of which is flattened and split to extend on oppositesides of the adjacent end of the spring, to which it is secured byrivets, as shown in Fig. 4. This short piece of tubing is then connectedto the adjacent end of the harp like the end of the tubular arm, and thespring 26 in the harp and the end of the tubular arm is replaced by aspring-blade 41, one end of which is secured between the end of thespring 35* and the sides of the short piece of tube by the rivets thatsecure the tube and spring together, while the opposite end of thisspring is secured to the block and harp the same as in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 I illustrate a modification of the manner of securing thespring 35 to the pole. In this modification I extend a bolt 42- throughthe pole and place a washer 4:3 on it at the under side of the pole andthen pivotally bolt This spring consequently exerts a the end of thespring against the pole. The object of this arrangement is to give thearm free lateral swing independent of any lateral resilient tension ofthe spring, which is free to move with it.

In Fig. 6 I illustrate a modification of the method employed to hold theauxiliary spring under vertical tension. In this modification theflat-blade spring 35 is dispensed with and in its place a coiled spring44 is used, which is attached to the pole and arm below the harp to tworings or collars 45, which are loosely mounted on the pole and arm tooscillate or swing freely thereon. These rings or collars may be looselysecured to the pole and arm by eyes I5 or by any other suitable means.

The operation of my improved multiplecontact trolley is as follows: Thesprings which are commonly used at the base of all trolleypoles exert anupward constant resilient tension on the pole which holds it inresilient contact with the trolley-wire, while the flat spring withinthe harp and pole enables the main wheel to turn from the vertical intooblique planes to accommodate itself to the angles it encounters whenentering switches and curves. The auxiliary wheel follows the mainwheel; but its connection with the pole is such that it is practicallyindependent of the main wheel in its movements. It has the samespring-controlled oscillating twisting movement on its arm that the mainwheel has on the pole, and consequently can turn obliquely on its arm toaccommodate itself to the angles of curves and switches independent ofthe main wheel, and at the same time it is under a constant independentvertical resilient tension and is free to accommodate itself to lateralmovements independent of the main wheel and pole, while at the same timebeingunder a lateral resilient tension that tends to return and holditin alinement with the main wheel and trolley-pole.

A multiple-contact trolley such as is herein described eliminates thejar to the motors and their gears caused by the momentary make and breakof the motor-circuit when the trolley-wheel passes under thetrolley-line section insulators, switches, cross-overs, and hangers andthe two wheels afford double the amount of contact, thereby moreeffectively transmitting the current to the car-motors and preventingthe are between wheel and wire and the consequent heating and burning.of sleet or ice, and thus give the auxiliary wheel a perfect contact.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

I. In a trolley, a trolley-pole provided with an arm, connected to saidpole, atrolley-wheel mounted on said pole, a trolley-wheel mounted onsaid arm, and means connected between The main wheel tends to clear thewire I whereby said trolley-wheels turn at right angles to theirvertical rotative plane independent of said pole and arms and of eachother, and means for' permitting said arm to have an oscillating.movement, independent of the pole.

2. In a multiple-contact trolley, the trolleypole, the trolley-wheelrotatably mounted thereon, to oscillate under resilient tension, the armpivoted to said pole to move vertically and horizontally, the auxiliarytrolleywheel pivotally mounted on said arm to os cillate under resilienttension, and a spring secured at one end to said pole, and adapted tosupport said arm at its opposite end, and arranged and adapted toconstantly hold said auxiliary wheel and arm under vertical resilienttension.

3. In a multiple-contact trolley, the combination, with a trolley-polehaving a main trolley-wheel, an arm pivotally secured to said pole tomove vertically and horizontally, means connected to said pole fordefining the lateral and downward movement of said arm and a springconnected to said pole and arm arranged and adapted to hold said arm inalinement with said pole and to permit lateral resilient movement ofsaid arm independent of said pole, substantially as described.

4. In a multiple trolley, the combination with the trolley-pole and themain trolleywheel, of the arm pivotally secured to said pole to move invertical and horizontal directions, an auxiliary contact-trolley wheelrotatably mounted on said arm in the rear of said main trolley-wheel,means including a compound spring for normally holding said auxiliaryWheel in' alinement with said main trolley-wheel, and for exerting aconstant vertical tension on said arm and means including a spring forproviding a resilient, oscillating, transverse movement to saidauxiliary trolleywheel independent of its arm and of said main trolleywheel and pole, substantially as described.

5. In a multiple-contact trolley, the combination with the trolley-poleand the main trolley-wheel, of a tubular arm pivotally connected to saidpole to swing in vertical and horizontal directions, an auxiliarytrolley-wheel rotatably mounted on said arm to stand in the rear of saidmain wheel, and a blade-spring provided with resilient portions adaptedto exert resilient tension in horizontal and in vertical directionssecured at one end to said pole and forming at its opposite end asupport for said arm and arranged to exert a constant vertical resilienttension on said arm and auxiliary trolley-wheel and to resilientlyconfine said auxiliary trolley-wheel in operative following contactalinement with said main trolley wheel and pole, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a multiple trolley, the combination said trolley-wheels and saidpole and arm I with the pole and the main trolley-wheel, of

the sleeve secured to said pole, a hinge pivoted to said sleeve at oneend to swing vertically and the arm secured to the opposite end of saidhinge, substantially as described.

7 In a multiple trolley, the combination with the pole and main wheel ofthe arm pivotally secured to said pole to swing vertically andlaterally. the link secured to said pole and surrounding said arm, thepull-rope, the auxiliary trolley-wheel secured to said arm and thedouble spring arranged to exert constant resilient tension, verticallyon said arm, in a vertical direction and to hold resilient said arm inalinement with said pole, substantially as described.

8. In a multiple trolley, the combination with the trolley-pole and maintrolley-wheel, of an arm pivotally secured to said pole, an auxiliarycontactwheel, mounted in bearings, rotatable upon said pole, a springfor normally holding said auxiliary wheel in alinement with said mainwheel and for exerting a constant upward pressure on said arm; saidspring being connected to the trolleypole at one end, and having a guidepivoted upon its free end, in which said arm lies; and

a link depending from said pole and surrounding said arm and spring, soas to limit their downward movement, substantially as described.

9. In a multiple trolley, apole having aharp mounted upon its extremityso as to turn thereon, a spring connecting said pole and harp, andexerting a tension upon said harp in the direction of its axialmovement, and a main trolley-wheel carried by said harp; a trolley-armcarried by the pole, having a vertical and horizontal movementindependent of the pole, a harp upon the end of said arm, a spring whichexerts a tension upon said harp in the direction of its axial movement,an auxiliary trolley-wheel carried by said harp and a link dependingfrom said pole which limits the downward movement of said arm,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS M. MCBRIDE.

l/Vitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, Bussm THOMPSON.

